How To Find a Gas Leak In My Home

If you wake up, or come home from work, and smell something that closely resembles rotten eggs, be careful — you likely have a dangerous gas leak nearby. Now you’re probably wondering how you find it. Should you make the gas supply repair yourself or call in the professionals?

Gas Lines and Your Home

Gas lines are one of those items in our homes that we rarely think about. They run throughout the home, unnoticed, until something goes wrong. Hot water tanks, heaters, dryers, and stovetops are just a few items that might use gas, so when you have to turn one of these items off, havoc and stress follows. It’s not a fun experience, and definitely not something you want to experience, but things do wear out and leaks happen.

Gas leaks are not something to be taken lightly and gas supply repair jobs should never be put off for a better day. Normally, this rotten egg scented, invisible gas is harmless because it’s inside pipes. Once it starts escaping into the air however (particularly in a poorly ventilated area like a kitchen or basement), it fills the air, making the entire space extremely toxic, flammable, and even explosive.

The Big Question: “How To Find a Gas Leak In My Home”

If it’s safe and the room isn’t overly saturated, follow the smell until you can determine where it’s the strongest. This will give you a general area to test. Then, make a mixture made of half liquid soap and half water in a container wide enough for a paint brush. Next, you’ll use the paint brush to paint a healthy coat of the soap mixture onto the pipes, joints, elbows, and valves.

Watch the pipes. The gas rushing through the leak will create bubbles on the purpose. Follow the pipe back until you find a valve, and turn the gas off so it stops leaking into the air. Then, blow out any flame, open the windows, and start to air out the space.

You can make repairs yourself, but this isn’t the best option. Mistakes are costly and could force you to make more repairs than you expected. There is also a huge risk of injury or death because of the toxicity and flammability of the gas. Your best option is to call in a gas supply repair expert and have the job done right the first time.